PCT International No. WO 94/08236 describes a process for producing a microstructured body in the shape of a cover for an integrated optical circuit. In this process, an optical component is inserted into a mold that has adjusting elements. As it is inserted, the optical component is adjusted by means of the adjusting elements on the mold. By casting a curable fluid around the optical component, a cover containing the optical component is produced. The casting process is an injection molding or injection/compression molding process, where the curable fluid is introduced into the desired mold under the influence of pressure and/or temperature and then cured. In this process, the curable fluid has a high viscosity that permits relatively accurate outside dimensions of the resulting optical component but sets limits with regard to moldability.
German Patent No. 44 34 832.0 describes a process for producing a microstructured body as an integrated optical cover component, where a prefabricated trough-shaped container functions as the outside border for the resulting cover component, in that this container is placed on a mold and a reaction molding compound is cast in the container. The container is preferably made of a plastic such as polycarbonate and can be produced as an injection molded part.
German Patent No. 19 517 087.3 describes a casting frame that serves as an outside border for a microstructured body that is to be produced, and when placed on a mold, it locks in place in the mold with at least one locking element. This locking action causes the casting frame to be adjusted on the mold, which offers the advantage in production of the microstructured body that the microstructure of the microstructured body is always located in the same position with respect to the position of the casting frame. The casting frame described there can also be produced by the injection molding method.